Commentators like Spurgeon and Calvin emphasize that this cry of wretchedness is not a sign of spiritual failure, but of spiritual life. An unbeliever is not bothered by this internal conflict. For the believer, the closer one draws to God and the more one delights in His law, the more painful and horrifying the presence of remaining sin becomes. This cry is described as the 'birth-pangs' of a regenerated spirit longing for holiness.